Simplifying Windows Networking

Essential IP Commands

In our fast-paced digital world, knowing the basics of networking can benefit everyone, not just IT professionals. Lately, I’ve been exploring Windows IP commands, and they’re game-changers for troubleshooting and enhancing network performance.

Why it matters:
Commands like ipconfig, ping, and tracert are fundamental tools for identifying and resolving network issues effectively.

 Key takeaways:
• ipconfig: Quickly view your IP and DNS configurations.
• ping: Test connectivity in seconds.
• tracert: Trace network routes to spot bottlenecks.

Whether you’re managing a complex IT environment or solving a home network issue, these commands are invaluable additions to your skillset. 

1. ipconfig

• Basic Command: ipconfig
  • Displays basic information about all network interfaces, such as IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.
• Show detailed information: ipconfig /all
  • Provides a more detailed view, including the MAC address (Physical Address), DHCP status, DNS servers, etc.
• Release IP Address: ipconfig /release
  • Releases the current DHCP lease for the network adapter.
• Renew IP Address: ipconfig /renew
  • Renews the DHCP lease and obtains a new IP address.
• Flush DNS Cache: ipconfig /flushdns
  • Clears the DNS resolver cache, which can help resolve DNS-related issues.
• Display DNS Cache: ipconfig /displaydns
  • Displays the contents of the DNS resolver cache.
• Set DNS Search Suffix: ipconfig /setclassid <adapter> <class_id>
  • Sets the DHCP class ID for a specific adapter.

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2. ping

• Ping an IP Address or Host: ping <hostname or IP address>

  • Sends ICMP echo requests to a host to check if it's reachable.

• Example: ping google.com or ping 8.8.8.8

• Ping with specific size: ping <hostname or IP address> -l <size>

  • Example: ping google.com -l 1000 sends a ping with a 1000-byte packet.

• Set Ping Count: ping <hostname or IP address> -n <count>

  • Example: ping google.com -n 10 will ping the destination 10 times.

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3. tracert

• Trace Route to a Host: tracert <hostname or IP address>
  • Traces the route that packets take to reach the destination, showing each hop along the way. This can help identify network congestion or routing issues.

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4. netstat

• View Active Connections: netstat
  • Displays all active network connections, including the protocol (TCP/UDP), local address, foreign address, and state (e.g., ESTABLISHED, TIME_WAIT).
• Detailed Output with Process Info: netstat -ano
  • Shows active connections and associated process IDs (PID).
• Listening Ports: netstat -an | find "LISTEN"
  • Lists all ports in the "LISTENING" state on the machine.

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5. nslookup

• DNS Lookup: nslookup <hostname>
  • Queries DNS to get the IP address of a domain name.
• Reverse DNS Lookup: nslookup <IP address>
  • Performs a reverse DNS lookup, returning the domain name associated with the given IP address.

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6. route

• View Routing Table: route print
  • Displays the current routing table of the computer, showing how packets are routed to different networks.
• Add a Route: route add <destination> mask <subnet mask> <gateway>
  • Adds a new route to the routing table.
  • Example: route add 192.168.2.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1
• Delete a Route: route delete <destination>
  • Removes a route from the routing table.

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7. getmac

• Get MAC Address: getmac
  • Displays the MAC (Media Access Control) addresses of all network interfaces on the computer.

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8. netsh

• Show Network Configuration: netsh interface ip show config

  • Displays the configuration of all network interfaces (IP address, gateway, DNS, etc.).

• Reset TCP/IP Stack: netsh int ip reset

  • Resets the TCP/IP stack, useful for fixing network issues related to incorrect IP configuration.

• Enable/Disable Network Adapter: netsh interface set interface "<Interface Name>" admin=disable (disable) or admin=enable (enable)

• Change IP Address: netsh interface ip set address "<Interface Name>" static <IP Address> <Subnet Mask> <Default Gateway>

  • Manually sets a static IP address for an interface.
  • Example: netsh interface ip set address "Ethernet" static 192.168.1.100 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1

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9. arp

• Display ARP Table: arp -a
  • Shows the ARP cache, which maps IP addresses to MAC addresses for devices on the local network.

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10. netsh wlan

• View Wireless Network Profiles: netsh wlan show profiles
  • Displays all saved Wi-Fi network profiles on the computer.
• Show Wi-Fi Configuration: netsh wlan show interfaces
  • Displays detailed information about the currently connected wireless network.
• Export Wi-Fi Profile: netsh wlan export profile name="<profile name>" key=clear
  • Exports a saved Wi-Fi profile to an XML file, which can include the saved Wi-Fi password.

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11. telnet

• Check Open Port on Remote Host: telnet <hostname or IP address> <port>
  • Tests if a specific port is open on a remote server.
  • Example: telnet example.com 80 checks if port 80 (HTTP) is open on the server.